A tampon is provided with a string to facilitate removal of a tampon after use. The string is normally made of a single ply or multiple plies of yarn. Heretofore, the selection of the string has been a balance of two competing concerns. The first concern was that the string have a sufficiently large diameter as to be grippable by the user, and that the string withstand the pull force applied to remove the tampon from the body. The second, competing concern was that the user does not want to notice or feel the string when the tampon is in place. Accordingly, this second concern has normally been addressed by using a thinner, lighter and, thus, less strong string. The balancing of these competing concerns has proven difficult in practice.
Thus, an improved tampon string is needed that provides enhanced grippability, has sufficient tensile strength, and yet is aesthetically acceptable to the user. Moreover, the improved tampon string should have an improved resistance to fluid wicking. This improved resistance to fluid wicking, also called the non-wicking ability of the string, further enhances the grippability of the string, as well as results in less or no staining of the user's undergarment.